Cranberry Juice and Bladder Infections

Home Treatment for Bladder Infections

All about cranberry juice and bladder infections & other home treatments

Many people have requested information in wanting to learn more about cranberry juice and bladder infections.

In addition, we have had large requests for other home treatments for bladder infections as well. Therefore, we decided to cover these two topics here.

Indeed, cranberry juice is among the most well renowned home treatment for bladder infections.

Keep in mind that bladder infections are often times referred to as cystitis, inflammation of the bladder, and/or urinary tract infection so if you hear these terms don't be confused.

A bladder infection is not considered a serious condition if treated well and right away. However, if left untreated it can lead to a kidney infection, which is a serious infection.

Therefore, it's important that once a bladder infection has been diagnosed that you discuss with your physician any home treatment for bladder infections you may be considering, including cranberry juice.

Why?

If your condition has already progressed, pharmaceuticals such as antibiotics may be your best choice of action at that point, especially for painful and persistent infections.

Bladder infections are mostly caused by the E coli bacterium, and are found to be more common in women than men due to the female anatomy.

The kidneys, bladder, penis, ureters, and urethra are all players in filtering and removing waste material (urine) from the body. In women, the opening to the urethra (the tube that carries urine out of the bladder) is close to the rectum and the vagina.

As such, bacteria can migrate from the rectum, where bacterial counts are high, to the area around the vagina and urethra. This in turn makes it easier for bacteria to find their way into the bladder. On the other hand, men have a longer urethra.

Cranberry Juice and Bladder Infections

How can it benefit you?

Specifically, cranberry's claim to fame is in the prevention of the urinary tract infection.

At one time, the theory was that cranberry acidified the urine and, as such, it could prevent the troublesome infection.

However, since then, it's been discovered that cranberry juice contains antioxidant compounds that harbor anti-adhesion properties.

Studies demonstrated that these compounds - known as proanthocyandins - prevent invading bacteria from adhering to the bladder wall and urinary tract where they would normally reproduce, thus reducing the likelihood of this troublesome infection.

A number of controlled studies confirm that consuming large amounts of cranberry juice, or taking the fruit in a concentrated pill form, reduces the incidence of urinary tract infections among susceptible women.

The bottom line about cranberry juice and bladder infections …………….

Cranberry juice has been shown to have positive effects on urinary tract infections and, as such, many people around the world have used it as a home treatment for bladder infections.

How much to Drink for Bladder Infections?

Drink 1 quart of pure, unsweetened cranberry juice daily. Commercial cranberry juice is not the same as it contains relatively small amounts of pure cranberry and it also harbors high-fructose corn syrup or other sweeteners. If for some reason you are unable to locate pure, unsweetened cranberry juice, supplements are available.

Also, drink plenty of clean pure water as this will cause an increase in urination helping to flush out the bacterial infection.